Guardians vs Tigers Game 2 Prediction | MLB Odds, Picks for Tuesday, April 18
Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Peyton Battenfield
- Game 1 of Tigers-Guardians is underway, but there's still betting value to be found in Game 2
- In that matchup, Detroit's Eduardo Rodriguez will take on Cleveland's Peyton Battenfield.
- Continue reading for a full breakdown of the doubleheader matchup, including how to bet both games.
Guardians vs. Tigers Game 2 Odds
| Guardians Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| -130 | 8.5 -110/ -110 | -1.5 +130 |
| Tigers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+110 | 8.5 -110 / -110 | +1.5 -160 |
The Detroit Tigers saw their second game in a row postponed on Monday in what was supposed to be the first game of their series against the Cleveland Guardians.
The two teams will play a straight doubleheader on Tuesday with Game 1 featuring Hunter Gaddis against Matthew Boyd and Game 2 seeing Payton Battenfield and Eduardo Rodriguez take the bump.
Let's take a look at the odds and break down how to bet Tuesday's doubleheader in Detroit.
Cleveland Guardians
Gaddis does not have the worst peripherals this season. He ranks in the 69th percentile in Average Exit Velocity and the 77th percentile in Hard Hit Rate. His xERA is 3.22, but his ERA is 8.53. This is not really an accident. He has struck out at most four hitters in each of his starts. He held the Oakland A’s in check, but the Yankees and Mariners crushed him, not letting him past the fourth inning. He gave up 12 earned runs in those two games combined.
Battenfield pitched well when facing the Yankees, where in 4 2/3 innings, he gave up one earned run. In Triple-A in 2022, he held a 3.63 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. Like Gaddis, he did not strike many out, but he had a strong approach against a good lineup.
The Guardians hit lefties a little better than righties. Against lefties, they hold a 98 wRC+ with a 10% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate. This is in line with last season, where they could work the count, even if they did not hit the ball too hard.
The Guardians are solid in the bullpen. However, Emmanuel Clase has a xFIP around 3.94, which is not nearly as lockdown as he was in 2022. James Karinchak, Tim Herrin and Eli Morgan are the other reliable options, but this bullpen has taken a step back from 2022. Overall, they still have plenty relievers, but Gaddis might bury a hole for them in Game 1.
Detroit Tigers
Boyd goes for the Tigers in Game 1. He has allowed two runs in each start, where he went a touch under five innings pitched. He currently sits in the 80th percentile in Average Exit Velocity and the 89th percentile in Hard Hit Rate. Given that the Guardians rank last in both of these, Boyd should have a tremendous advantage over Gaddis.
Rodríguez is more consistent. Like Boyd, he does not allow much hard contact. He ranks in the 84th percentile in Average Exit Velocity and Hard Hit Rate, while posting a 4.50 ERA against a 4.28 xERA. He will not blow hitters away, but he is consistent. Since he is a soft-contact pitcher, there will be very few hard hit balls off of the bats of Guardian hitters.
The Tigers are horrible offensively, though. They rank 28th with a 72 wRC+ against right-handed pitching. Betting on them against Gaddis is more of an indictment on him than it is a pat on the back for a job well done in the batter’s box for Detroit hitters. Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Matt Vierling and Jake Rogers all have .320+ xwOBAs off of righties, so this can be a boost against Gaddis.
In relief, the Tigers are subpar. They have a team xFIP of 4.72. Tyler Alexander, Jason Foley and Tyler Holton all have sub-4.00 xFIPs, so look for these names floated if they are leading in either game.
Guardians vs. Tigers Betting Pick
The Tigers are not a strong team, but Gaddis has not proven himself at the MLB level. The Tigers should be able to snag the game against him, so the moneyline would be wise to -105, regardless of how they have hit righties so far.
In the other game, back the under to 7.5 (-110). There should not be much action with pitchers who can induce weak contact.
Picks: Tigers ML Game 1 (-105 or Better) | Under 8 Game 2 (Bet to 7.5 at -110)
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